With the classroom as his pulpit, 名誉教授拉里·梅雷迪思只用几句话就能吸引他的学生. 在博彩平台网址大全的33年任期中，他给成千上万的人留下了深刻的印象. 对于那些被他感动过的人来说，他不仅仅是一位教授. He has been described by his former students as:

“A modern day renaissance man.”
“天使.”
“一个传奇.”
“If he were a character in Greek mythology, 他将是半人马训练英雄凯龙的混血儿, and Dionysus, the god of wine, theater and religious ecstasy.”

While that last description may sound peculiar, to those who know 梅雷迪思 or took any of his classes, it’s actually quite perfect. There is no earthly comparison to describe him.

现在, in an extraordinary display of admiration and affection, 50多名博彩平台网址大全校友聚集在一起，通过建立 法律rence 梅雷迪思 Endowed Professorship in the Humanities. 这是大学历史上第一次有如此多的校友捐赠教授职位.

“I’m really quite honored,” said 梅雷迪思. “我的天哪，人们对我的教学生涯有这样的反应真是太好了，我真的很高兴. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

该基金将为太平洋学院一名在教学方面有杰出贡献的教员提供研究和学术活动支助, scholarship and service in the fields of the humanities. It will also ensure 梅雷迪思’s legacy endures.

Alumnus Pete Carroll ’73, ’78, head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, 和他1977年的妻子格伦娜在上了梅雷迪思的身体宗教课程后，与拉里和他的妻子帕特建立了终身的友谊. That spring, 梅雷迪思 主持这对新人的婚礼，帕特作为见证人.

“这就是我们对他的想法，我们希望他成为我们爱的一部分，我们的历史和未来的一部分，幸运的是我们。, Larry has been woven into our lives throughout,” said Pete Carroll. “他是一位完美的教授，当你和他在一起时，你会感到一种特殊的能量，你觉得你还在课堂上. Any topic that he starts talking on, 你迫不及待地想听他接下来要说什么，我认为这才是一个好老师的标志.”

“His wisdom was obvious at the time,” said Glena Carroll. “We were young and impressionable. 很明显，在我们的一生中，他一直在与我们分享他的智慧. 我们很幸运能与一位教授保持这种联系，一直追溯到UOP时代.”

卡罗尔夫妇也是捐赠教授职位背后的主要捐助者.

“我们非常爱他，我们爱他所代表的一切，爱他对人们的意义，所以我们想把这个机会扩展到其他人身上," said Pete Carroll. 

梅雷迪思, who turned 92 in August, 1966年，他被当时的太平洋校长罗伯特·伯恩斯从阿尔比恩学院(Albion College)招聘到太平洋公司，以帮助他 establish Callison College. 卡利森是美国最早的集群学院之一，强调国际关系，每年都有教师和学生前往远东.

A distinguishing feature of Callison was its focus on non-western studies, requiring students to spend their sophomore year abroad. 梅雷迪思曾多次和学生一起去印度旅行, together with Pat and their young sons, 他在日本当了常驻教授. “You had to do it. You had to leave. Teaching could not be isolated in one place,” said 梅雷迪思. 他们在日本逗留期间，帕特会去岛上每个学生的家或住所拜访，同时确保他们的孩子们按时完成学业. 在一起, 他们上午在家教育孩子，下午带他们去神社和寺庙. “每个人都必须接触到另一种看待世界的方式. It was so enlightening. I was privileged to be part of it.”

In later years, he earned Fulbright teaching fellowships and taught in Graz, Austria in 1984 and Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 1992.

While at Pacific, 梅瑞狄斯是教堂的院长，也是人文和宗教研究的教授. He 通过将教堂融入课程，将其转变为校园的中心. Known for his free thinking and avant-garde teaching style, he introduced classes like Religion and Modern Culture, Life of Jesus, Religion and Sport and Religion and Cinema. 课堂上不时有重要人物的客座演讲, including Angela Davis, Timothy Leary, Dolores Huerta and Charles Schulz, who often stayed to have lunch with students.

一节课就能巩固他在学生心中的地位.

Justin Gingery ’96, ’99, who spearheaded the alumni fundraising campaign, can recall his first day in 梅雷迪思’s class. 梅雷迪思问，有没有人想过耶稣是否结过婚. The class was stunned. Gingery was sold. From that day on, 他总是根据梅瑞狄斯那学期教的课程来安排自己的课程表.

金格里在一个单亲家庭长大，他认为梅雷迪思帮助他度过了人生中的困难时期. “He became like a father figure to me. 我生活的方方面面都是以他为榜样的,” said Gingery who works as an attorney in Roseville. “I can’t say enough about the man. He was a shepherd who brought me to the meadow of peace.”

To the 梅雷迪思s, students were – and are – family. “他在课堂之外与学生的互动是我们和学生生活中重要的一部分,” said Pat 梅雷迪思. 每年感恩节假期前，这对夫妇都会在家里招待学生. “我们会提供一个大南瓜甜点，他们会笑，会说话，会讲故事. They came to the house many, many times.”

学生们毕业后，课堂之外的聚会依然如故. 有几次，梅雷迪思甚至和卡罗尔教练和他的团队一起旅行. 这些拜访通常包括踢足球或打篮球.

“Larry has great hands,” said Carroll. “他可以在达阵区后角接球，而且他有 classic sweeping hook shot on the basketball court.”

“Well, he’s right,” laughed 梅雷迪思.

但他作为老师、导师和朋友的遗产将经受住时间的考验.

“I learned a lot from teaching students,” said 梅雷迪思. “Being a student is a precious, fleeting moment. I was a guest in their lives, 这次会议的基调取决于我们两个人, but the student really was the center of it all. It’s the student that invites you in and once that happens, it can be a wonderful time for both of us. It’s the greatest job in the world.”

To contribute to the fund, donors can give online or contact Janice Bross at jbross@whitedogskin.net or 925.323.6094.